One's home is one's castle; and most people do not wish to share their castles with tiny, crawling pests such as ants, centipedes, pill bugs or spiders. Indeed, ridding one's home of small, crawling pests of these and other sorts can at times become a matter of concern, and effectively (i.e. totally) ridding one's home of such pests can thus pose a problem. Furthermore, with regard to any pesticide that is to be used in the home, the pesticidal activity as well as the physical appearance (of such a pesticidal composition) often plays an important role in a decision by today's consumers as to whether to purchase one particular pesticidally-effective product instead of that of another.
The amount of money spent annually on insect control by consumers is moreover sizable and generally well known; and there is a noticeable on-going quest for better, ever-more effective pesticides. Indeed, a wide variety of prior-art pesticidal compositions are well known.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,816,610 to Lusby discloses a so-called "palatable", foamed rodent-control material. Such a "rodent-control" material, more particularly, is said to include a rodent control agent such as rodenticide which, in turn, is interspersed throughout a so-called "plastic foam cellular" structure. The plastic foam cellular structure is said to be produced by combining isocyanate with a mixture consisting of a polyol, a catalyst, a blowing agent, and a so-called "rodent-control" agent. Lusby discloses that such ingredients, after being thus-combined, react chemically and expand, up to fifty (50) or more times in volume, via so-called "foaming action". Lusby further discloses that the result of such a volume-expansion mechanism is the production of a low-density substance (or mass), such as a "foam", which is said to be able to fill up cavities and take their shape, whereupon such a mass quickly becomes rigid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,911 to Leavitt discloses an insecticidal composition. More particularly, the Leavitt patent discloses that such an insecticidal composition, which is preferably utilized as an aerosol-sprayable composition, is characterized as being a so-called "substantially non-aqueous" mixture which is said to include a toxic concentration of a vaporizable insecticide as well as a so-called "substantially inert" foam-forming carrier. After this particular insecticidal composition is dispensed from its aerosol spray container, the foam-forming carrier is said to form a so-called "stable" (i.e. "form-sustaining") foam. Leavitt further discloses that the insecticide is released from such a foam carrier in toxic concentrations at a so-called "controlled" rate over a prolonged (or extended) period of time.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,584 to Hart et al., on the other hand, discloses a personal-care foam-forming emulsion that is utilized to produce a foam that is said to be "rich", "creamy", and "shiny". In particular, Hart et al. specifically teach that such a rich, creamy, shiny foam can be utilized to produce a variety of personal-care types of products. Still more particularly, Hart et al. specifically teach that such a rich, creamy, shiny foam can be utilized to produce an insect-repellent personal-care type of product.
Hart et al. thus specifically teach that their type of foam products can have certain "unique" characteristics which are said to be particularly desirable in the personal-care field. In this regard, Hart et al. particularly point out that their foam product will possess a so-called "fine" or "delicate" bubble structure, and that such a foam product will possess, as a result, certain desirable foam-density and foam-stiffness personal-care types of qualities. Hart et al. also specifically teach, however, that their particular foam products do not break down to form a film.
German Pat. ("Offenlegungsschrift") No. 25 38 470 discloses a method for producing a pesticidally-active composition-of-matter, characterized as an attractant in admixture with a toxicant, wherein the composition-of-matter is produced by a method whereby the attractant and toxicant are absorbed into a piece of plastic foam by so-called "electrostatic" forces.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,076,744 to Geary discloses an insecticidal bait composition which is said to include a so-called "polymerized aminoplast" as well as a so-called "insect-edible" attractant in admixture with an organic insecticide. The attractant and the insecticide, in turn, are said to be "molecularly occluded" within the polymerized aminoplast. Geary further discloses that the polymerized aminoplast, thus-containing the above-mentioned "occluded" ingredients, can be crushed to a fine-particle size and thereafter spread, for example, in insect-infested areas.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,791,983 to Maierson discloses so-called "aerosolizable" web-forming, sprayable compositions. Such compositions, in particular, are characterized as being self-supporting, three-dimensional webs of randomly-associated, joined monofilaments ranging in average diameter of from about 1 to 10 microns. Such so-called "web-forming" compositions are said to be utilizable for encapsulating certain insecticidal ingredients. Insecticidal ingredients, thus encapsulated, can then be used to combat insects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,020 to Himel et al. also discloses a process for the encapsulation of insecticidal particles.
British Pat. No. 1,107,140 to Mitchell et al. discloses an insecticidally-active oil-in-water emulsion which, after being dispensed from an aerosol-type dispenser, preferably is so formulated as to produce a spray rather than a foam.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,456,587 to Keith discloses a so-called "pheromone delivery" system. In connection with such a system, one particular pheromone that is utilized as an attractant (in an insect trap) for a particular type of insect is contained within a polymeric film, wherein such a film is characterized as being relatively water-insoluble.
In view of the many features and advantages of the above-discussed prior-art pesticidal products as well as those prior-art pesticidal products which are presently commercially-available, present-day consumers nevertheless continue to seek ever-novel insecticidal compositions-of-matter for a variety of reasons. For example, a sizable population of the pesticide-purchasing public would like to be assured that a particular pesticidal composition is present at certain predetermined locations but would not like to be visually reminded of such a presence.
Further, easy clean-up and disposal of a variety of now-inactive pesticidal products is desirable. Pesticidally-active compositions are of course known, in general, to possess a finite activity period. To facilitate clean-up of compositions rendered pesticidally-inactive due to the passage of time, it would be desirable that such a pesticidally-active composition be water-soluble.
Still further, for the manufacturer of such a product, it would be desirable that the ingredients be relatively low-cost; and it would be even more desirable that such a product be relatively inexpensive to manufacture as well.